Red flags of cardiac amyloidosis in patients with spinal stenosis and yellow ligament hypertrophy

• Published in: Medicina clinica Vol. 162; no. 2; p. 60
• Main Authors: Negreira Caamaño, Martín, Ramírez Huaranga, Marco Aurelio, García Vicente, Ana María, Rienda Moreno, Miguel Ángel, Castro Corredor, David, Piqueras Flores, Jesús
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Spain 26.01.2024
• Subjects: Amyloidosis - complications; Amyloidosis - diagnosis; Amyloidosis - epidemiology; Echocardiography; Humans; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular; Ligaments; Spinal Stenosis - complications; Spinal Stenosis - diagnosis; Back pain; Cardiac amyloidosis; Amiloidosis; Dolor lumbar; Estenosis de canal lumbar; Amiloidosis cardiaca; Amyloidosis; Spinal stenosis
• ISSN: 1578-8989
• DOI: 10.1016/j.medcli.2023.09.016

Studies addressing the prevalence of cardiac amyloidosis (CA) among patients with spinal stenosis (SS) are lacking. The identification of the red flags (RF) of CA could lead to early detection of cases of CA. The primary objective of this study was to address the prevalence of RF of CA among patients with SS. Transversal study including consecutive cases with SS and yellow ligament hypertrophy (YLH). A clinical assessment that included electrocardiogram, echocardiogram and urine and blood test was performed. A clinical suspicion of CA was defined by the presence of left ventricular hypertrophy plus any RF. One hundred and three patients with SS and YLH were assessed. The prevalence of RF was high: heart failure: 18.4%; aortic stenosis: 1.9%; carpal tunnel syndrome: 7.8%; bicipital tendon rupture: 1.9%; arterial hypotension: 17.4%; polyneuropathy symptoms: 51.5%; pseudoinfarction pattern: 3.9%; low voltages: 15.5%; conduction abnormalities: 15.5%; decreased longitudinal strain: 25.3%; apical sparing pattern: 3.9%. The 57.3% of the cohort met the CA suspicion criteria. The prevalence of RF of CA is high among patients with SS and YLH. A high proportion of patients met the CA suspicion criteria.